Dick Collins Firetrails 50 miler

I ran a 50 mile race on Saturday, and had a really rough time. I had a few tachycardias, but nothing which I couldnt abort quickly, and nothing sustained. However, I did feel heightened general fatigue, and cardiac instability.

 Things which went well:
 - I drank more electrolyte-based drinks and I think this delayed bonking
 - wetting a bandana and wearing it around my neck during the hottest parts of the day kept me cooler, and I think is partially responsible for the reduced number of heart events.

 Things which went poorly:
- I got a blister the size of a dollar pancake on the ball of my left foot around 33 miles in
 - I was undertrained. Not many long runs this year (pre or post surgery) except for races.

 For much of the race, I wasnt having fun, and I wondered if I should retire from ultrarunning. I met a doctor at the Ohlone 50K race who told me that I was 'on the leading edge' and 'pushing the envelop' as an ultra runner with afib. I didnt know if I should be proud to be more active than most patients, or if I was being foolish. But then I thought about how pretty the PCT 50 course is, and how if I just train a little bit harder, maybe I can do just the one more race...

Jean Pommier captures me surprised, 10.5 miles in